Collapsible, portable, torso-simulating dress form



COLLAPSIBLE, PORTABLE, TORSO-SIMULATING DRESS FORM Filed July 21, 1955 INVEN TOR. #025 W 534(55 By 2. H-a-oLyAo COLLAPSEBLE, PORTABLE, 'TORSO-SIMUL-ATING BESS FORM Hope W. Sykes, Santa Monica, Calif. Application July 21, 195$,SefialNo. 523,405

12 Claims. (Cl. 223-68) Generally speaking, :the present invention relates to the 15 sewing and dress form arts and, more particularly, it pertains to a novel torso-simulatingdress form (or garment form) of an easily-collapsibie and readily portable construction whereby to greatly extend its utility.

Applicant is aware of the fact that numerous dress forms, certain of them allegedly collapsible or disassemblable into a plurality of elements, have been developed heretofore. However, all of said such prior art collapsible dress forms known to applicant have major disadvantages of one type or another.

As an example, certain prior art collapsible dress forms comprise a plurality of portions which must be properly and individually oriented with respect to each other (in other words assembled) in order to place the device in operative condition simulating a human torso. This type of prior art construction is exceedingly disadvantageous because of the diillculty of effectively collapsing and of effectively assemblingit tor reorienting the. parts thereof when the device is to be used again as a dress form. Furthermore, the means for .reassembling the elements frequently imparts considerable complexity to such a prior art dress form. Also, such a prior art arrangement, which is usually relatively bulky, costly and difiicult to operate is not suitable, in many cases, to be supplied in multiple predetermined dress (or torso)v sizesthis is so because of the cost and complexity of the device and also, in many cases, because such a prior art collapsible dress form, even when fully assembled, does not provide a torso of a predetermined size corresponding to a predetermined dress or torso size.

Furthermore, prior art collapsible dress forms frequently produce a torso-simulating dress form, when fully assembled, which comprises a relatively imperfect simulation of a human torso because of the separation regions between adjacent elements of the dress form and poor mating juxtaposition thereof.

Also most prior art collapsible dress forms are elatively large, heavy objects and do not collapse into a relatively small, lightweight configuration such as to facilitate portability and/or storage during period of non-use.

Generally speaking, the collapsible, portable torsosimulating garment form (preferably a dress form, al-

tho-ugh not so limited) of the present invention includes a hollow torso-simulating body (in one preferred form, consisting of thin-sheet material shaped to conform 'to a 50 predetermined garment size, or dress size), with said body being provided with normally closelyiadjacent edges defining a selectively engageable and disengageable junction line extending spirally around the body between the top and bottom thereof (preferably between a neck por- 55 tion at the top thereof and a hip portion at the bottom thereof) thereby making it possible to selectively relatively engage said closely adjacent edges to provide said hollow torso-simulating body and also thereby 'making it possible to selectively relatively disengage said closely adjacent "edgesto make it,possib1e to collapse and/ or roll up a strip of said body defined by said edges whereby to provide easy storage and/or portability of the collapsed garment (or dress) form. The invention may also include fastener means (preferably slide fastener means, although not so limited) carried by said edges of said body for selectively engaging and disengaging said edges along said junction line.

in a preferred form, the above-mentioned strip (preferably of molded elastomeric thin-sheet material, although not so limited) may be sufficiently flexible to easily allow it to be rolled up when said closely adjacent edges are disengaged but may effectively provide a relatively stiff, shapenetaining torso-simulating body when said closely adjacent edgesare engaged.

From the above description 'of basic and preferred generic forms of the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that virtually all of the herein-before-mentioned prior art dress form disadvantages and/or problems are virtually entirely eliminated and overcome in and through the use of the collapsible, portable, torso-simulating garment (or dress) form of the present invention.

For example, it should be noted thattheconstruction of the dress form of the present invention is such that the fastener means (slide fastener means in one preferred form of the invention) may be quickly and easily operated whereby to disengage closely adjacent edges of said body along said junction line whereby to effectively change the torsosimulating body of applicants invention into a longitudinal strip which may he quickly and easily rolled up into a very small "configuration for easy portability and also for easyistorage during period of non-use.

it should also be noted that when the dress form. is again to be used, the rolled up strip may be caused to unroll and the fastener means may be quickly and easily operated in the opposite manner whereby to re-engage said closely adjacent edges of said body along said junction line whereby to effectively change said strip into said shape-retainingtorso-simulating body. These two operations are very much more simple than the corresponding operations in any prior art collapsible dress form known to applicant.

It should also be noted that the construction of applicants invention .is suchthat the fully assembled shape retaining torso-simulating body is of a predetermined size (such as any one of a plurality ofistandard dress orgarment sizes, although not so limited) whereby to make it possible to make, tailor and/ or block clothes or garments on the dress form in a manner whereby such an article of clothing will have a size and configuration which is optimum for an individualof a corresponding size.

it should also be noted that the dress form of the prcsent invention isof such simple, cheap construction as to greatlyfacilitate an d eXtend-its field of utilityand to make it commercially practical to supply such dress forms in a plurality of predetermined sizes.

Furthermora'it should be noted that the dress form of the present invention is so constructed as to be capable of being collapsed into a very much smaller configuration than any prior art dress form known to applicant, thereby greatly facilitating portability and/ or storage and expanding the field of utility of the device.

With the above points in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel, collapsible, portable, shape-retaining, torso-simulating garment (or dress) form having closely adjacent edges defining a spiral junction line and having fastener means cooperable with said edges for selectively engagingisaid edges to provide said -shaperetaining torso-simulating garment (or dress) form and cooperable'with said edges for selectively disengaging said edges to produce a rollable (or otherwise collapsible) strip which may be effectively rolled (or otherwise collapsed) to cause the entire device to assume an exceed- .3 ingly small configuration suitable for easy portability and/ or storage.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device of the character set forth in the preceding object, wherein the spiral junction line extends from a neck portion of the body to a hip portion thereof in a spiral manner and wherein the fastener means comprises a slide fastener.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device of the character setforth in either or both of the preceding objects, wherein the body (and the strip forming the body) are of thin-sheet material sufficiently flexible to allow said strip to be rolled up (which shall also mean collapsed in any suitable fashion) when the closely adjacent edges are disengaged, but which provides a relatively stiff, shape-retaining, torso-simulating body when said closely adjacent edges are engaged.

Other and allied objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a careful perusal, examination and study of the accompanying illustrations, the present specification and the appended claims.

To facilitate understanding, reference will be made to the hereinbelow described drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of one illustrative form of the present invention in assembled (elfectively engaged) relationship whereby to comprise a shape retaining, torso-simulating body;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the garment (or dress) form of Fig. 1 after the slide fastener has been disengaged and the longitudinal spiral strip freed there by has been effectively rolled up (or collapsed) into a very small configuration suitable for portability or storage; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view in perspective, of somewhat larger scale than Figs. 1 and 2, illustrating a portion of the closely adjacent edges defining a portion of the spiral junction line, said closely adjacent edges being provided with a portion of the slide fastener means.

Generally speaking, the present invention includes a hollow torso-simulating body, said body being provided with normally closely adjacent edges defining a selectively engageable and disengageable junction line extending spirally around the body between the top and the bottom thereof, thereby making it possible to selectively relatively engage said closely adjacent edges to provide said hollow torso-simulating body and also thereby making it possible to selectively relatively disengage said closely adjacent edges to make it possible to collapse and/or roll up a continuous longitudinal strip of said body defined by said edges, whereby to provide easy storage and/or portability of the collapsed garment (or dress) form. Also generally speaking, the device may include fastener means carried by said edges of said strip for selectively engaging and disengaging them along said junction line.

In the specific example illustrated in Fig. 1, the hollow torso-simulating body is of thin-sheet molded form (preferably of an elastomeric material, such as polyethylene, or the like, although not so limited) and is indicated generally at 1 in fully assembled (or engaged) relationship whereby to provide a very effective garment (or dress form) of a predetermined size and of extremely life-like configuration. Incidentally, it should be noted that this dress form may be mounted in any suitable fashion for convenient accessibility during use. For example, it may be mounted on a flat underlying surface, it may be suspended from an overhead support, it may be mounted on an upwardly directed support or standard (either interior of or exterior of the hollow body), or it may be otherwise supported.

In the specific example illustrated in Fig. l, the hollow torso-simulating body 1 actually is formed by means of a continuous longitudinal strip indicated in 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, and IF, said designations corresponding to different vertically related portions of said continuous strip,

as viewed in the engaged relationship illustrated in Fig. 1.

In the specific example illustrated in Fig. l, the above referred to continuous longitudinal strip is provided with edges, which in the assembled (or engaged) relationship shown in Fig. 1, define a continuous spiral (or helical) junction line between said closely adjacent edges extending from the neck edge 2 of the torso-simulating body 1 to the hip edge 3 of said torso-simulating body 1. A fragmentary view, for illustrative purposes, of two of said closely adjacent edges between the two portions of the continuous strip indicated in IA and 1B in Fig. 1., is shown in Fig. 2 at 1A and 1B. These are not indicated in Fig. 1 for reasons of clarity.

The above referred to fastener means, in the specific form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, comprises a slide fastener indicated generally at 4 and car'- ried by the closely adjacent edges (such as the closely adjacent edges 1A and 1B shown in Fig. 2, for example) along the entire spiral (or helical) junction line extending from the point 2 at the neck edge around the hollow body 1 to the point 3 at the hip edge, whereby to make it extremely easy to engage said closely adjacent edges of said continuous longitudinal strip into the relationship shown in Fig. 1, with 1A, 1B, 1C. 1D, 1E and IF vertically superimposed by merely moving the handle 5 of the movable element of the slide fastener 4 from the point 3, spirally upwardly around the body 1 to the point 2, as shown in Fig. 1. The reverse operation is also extremely easy and merely comprises moving the handle 5 of the movable element of the slide fastener 4 from the point 2 (as shown in Fig. 1) spirally downwardly around the body 1 to the point 3. This will effectively disengage the entire device into a longitudinal flexible strip, which may then be rolled up (or otherwise collapsed) into the small configuration indicated in Fig. 2, in which position it may be retained by gripper clamps or fasteners 6. Incidentally, it should be noted that the remaining elements of the device (corresponding to those shown in Fig. 1) are not numbered in Fig. 2 because they are thought to be obvious upon examination of Fig. 1 and because, by reason of the small size of Fig. 2, it is thought that numerous reference characters and lead lines would merely clutter and confuse the drawing in an unnecessary manner.

It should be noted that the collapsed portable dress form, as illustrated in Fig. 2, may be carried in an appropriate receptacle for easy portability and/or storage.

Numerous modifications and variations of the present invention will occur to those skilled in the art after a careful study hereof. All such properly within the basic spirit, scope and/or teachings of the present invention are intended to be included and comprehended herein as fully as if specifically described, illustrated and claimed herein.

For example, the torso-simulating body (and the longitudinal continuous strip comprising same) may be made of a number of different materials such as flexible plastic, rubber, paper-mache and the like. Furthermore, in the form of the present invention utilizing a slide fastener, it may be a standard slide fastener (of either metal or plastic) suitably affixed to the closely adjacent edges of v the longitudinal strip by adhesive, cohesive or various types of mechanical fastening means, or said slide fastener may be molded into said closely adjacent edges. It should also be noted that, in certain versions of the present invention, other forms of fastener means may be employed.

It should also be noted that the direction and/ or curvature of the spiral junction line and/or its orientation with respect to the hollow body may be modified substantially; this is also true of the number of loops. Incidentally, in this connection, it should be noted that applicant intends the word helical (and/ or any of its derivatives or relatives) as used in this application, to be construed broadly, and does not intend to limit the meaning thereof to a technically and mathematically correct interpretation.

The exact compositions, configurations, constructions, relative positionings, and cooperative relationships of the various component parts of the present invention are not critical, and can be modifiedsubstantially within the spirit of the present invention.

The embodiment of the present invention specifically described and illustrated herein is exemplary onlyQand is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, which is to be interpreted in the light of the prior art and the appended claims only, with due consideration for the doctrine of equivalents.

I claim:

1. A collapsible portable torso-simulating garment form, comprising: a hollow torso-simulating body of thin sheet material shaped to conform to a predetermined garment size, saidbody being provided with normally closely adjacent edges defining a selectively engageable and disengageable junction line extending helically around the body between the top and bottom thereof thereby defining a helical strip formingsaid body and extending from the top to the bottom thereof and thereby making it possible to selectively relatively engage said closely adjacent edges to provide said hollow torso-simulating body and also thereby making it possible to selectively relatively disengage said closely adjacent edges to make it possible to roll up said helical strip to provide easy storage and portability of the collapsed garment form; and fastener means carried by said edges of said body for selectively engaging anddisengaging said edges along said junction line.

2. A collapsible portable torsosimulating garment form, comprising: a hollow torso-simulating body of thinsheet material shaped to conform to a predetermined garment size, said body being provided with normally closely adjacent edges defining a selectively engageable and disengageable junction line extending helically around the body between the top and bottom thereof thereby efining a helical strip forming said body and extending from the top to the bottom thereof and thereby making it possible to selectively relatively engage said closely adjacent edges to provide said hollow torso-simulating body and also thereby making it possible to selectively relatively disengage said closely adjacent edges to make it possible to roll up said helical strip to provide easy storage and portability of the collapsed garment form; and fastener means carried bysaid edges of said body for selectively engaging and disengaging said edges along said junction line, said strip being sufficiently flexible to allow it to be rolled up when the closely adjacent edges are disengaged but effectively providing a relatively stiff torso-simulating body when said "closely adjacent edges are engaged.

3. A collapsible portable torso-simulating garment form, comprising: a hollow torso-simulating body of thinsheet material shaped to conform to a predetermined garment size, said body being iprovided with normally closely adjacent edges defining a selectively engageable and disengageable junction "li'ne extending helically around the body between the top and bottom "thereof thereby defining a helical strip forming said body and extending from the top to the bottom thereof and thereby making it possible to selectively relatively engage said closely adjacent edges to provide said hollow torso-simulating body and also thereby making it possible to selectively relatively disengage said closely adjacent edges to make it possible to roll up said helical strip to provide easy storage and portability of the collapsed garment form; and slide fastener means carried by said edges of said body for selectively engaging and disengaging said edges along said junction line.

4. A collapsible portable torso-simulating garment form, comprising: a hollow torso-simulating body of thinsheet material shaped to conform to a predetermined garment size, said body being provided with normally closely adjacent edges defining a selectively engageable and disengageable junction line extending helically around the body between the top and bottom thereof thereby defining a helical strip forming said body and extending from the top to the bottom thereof and thereby-making it possible to selectively relatively engage said closely adjacent edges to provide said hollow torso-simulating body and also thereby making it possible to selectively relatively disengage said closely adjacent edges to make it possible to roll up said helical strip to provide easy storage and portability of the collapsed garment form; and slide fastener means carried by said edges of said body for selectively engaging and disengaging said edges along said junction line, said strip being sufficiently flexible to allow it to be rolled up when the closely adjacent edges are disengaged but effectively providing a relatively stiff torso-simulating body when said "closely adjacent edges are engaged.

5. A collapsible portable torso-simulating garment form, comprising: a hollow torso-simulating bodyof thin-sheet material provided with a neck portion adjacent the upper end and a hip portion adjacent the lower end, said body being shaped to conform to a predetermined garment size, said body being provided with normally "Closely adjacent edges defining a selectively engageable and disengageable junction line extending helically around the body between the neck portion thereof and the hip portion thereof thereby defining ahelical strip forming said body and extending from the neck to the hip portion thereof and thereby making it possible to selectively rela tively engage said closely adjacent edges to provide said hollow torso-simulating body and alsothereby making it possible to selectively relatively disen age said closely adjacent edges to make it possible to roll up said helical strip to provide easy storage and portability of the collapsed garment form; and fastener means carried by said edges of said body for selectively engaging and disengaging said edges along said junction line.

6. A collapsible portable torso-simulating garment form, comprising: a hollow torso-simulating body of thin-sheet material provided with a neck portion adjacent the upper end and a hip portion adjacent the lower end, said body beingshaped to conform to a predetermined garment size, said body being provided with normally closely adjacent edges defining a selectively engageable and disengageable junction line extending helically around the body between the neck portion thereof and the hip portion thereof thereby defining a helical strip forming said body and extending from the neck to the hip portion thereof and thereby making it possible to selectively relatively engage said closely adjacent edges to provide said hollow torso-simulating body and also thereby making it possible to selectively relatively disengage said cosely ad acent edges to make it possible to roll up said helical strip to provide easy storage and portability of the collapsed garment form; and fastener means carried by said edges of said body for selectively engaging and disengaging said edges along said junction line, said strip being sufficiently flexible to allow it to be rolled up when the closely adjacent edges are disengaged but effectively providing a relatively stiif torso-simulating body when said closely adjacent edges are 7. A collapsible portable tors-o simulating garment form, comprising: ahollow torso-simulating body'oftlrim sheet material provided with a neck portion adjacent the upper end and a hip portion adjacent the lower end, said body being shaped to conform to a predetermined garment size, said body being provided with normally closely adjacent edges defining a selectively engageable and disengageable junction line extending helically around the body between the neck portion thereof and the hip portion thereof thereby defining a helical strip forming said body and extending from the neck to the hip portion thereof and thereby making it possible to selectively relatively engage said closely adjacent edges to provide said hollow torso-simulating body and also thereby making it possible to selectively relatively disengage said closely adjacent edges to make it possible to roll up said helical strip to provide easy storage and portability of the col lapsed garment form; and slide fastener means carried by said edges of said body for selectively engaging and disengaging said edges along said junction line.

8. A collapsible portable torso-simulating garment form, comprising: a hollow torso-simulating body of thinsheet material provided with a neck portion adjacent the upper end and a hip portion adjacent the lower end, said body being shaped to conform to a predetermined garment size, said body being provided with normally closely adjacent edges defining a selectively engageable and disengageable junction line extending helically around the body between the neck portion thereof and the hip portion thereofthereby defining a helical strip forming said body and extending from the neck to the hip portion thereof and thereby making it possible to selectively relatively engage said closely adjacent edges to provide said hollow torso-simulating body and also thereby making it possible to selectively relatively disengage said closely adjacent edges to make it possible to roll up said helical strip to provide easy storage and portability of the collapsed garment for-m; and slide fastener means carried by said edges of said body for selectively engaging and disengaging said edge along said junction line, said strip being suificiently flexible to allow it to be rolled up when the closely adjacent edges are disengaged but effectively providing a relatively stiff torso-simulating body when said closely adjacent edges are engaged.

9. A collapsible portable torso-simulating dres form, comprising: a hollow torso-simulating body of molded elastomeric thin-sheet material provided with a neck portion adjacent the upper end and a hip portion adjacent the lower end, said body being shaped to conform to a predetermined dress size, said body being provided with normally closely adjacent edge defining a selectively engageable and disengageable junction line extending helically around the body between the neck portion thereof and the hip portion thereof thereby defining a helical strip forming said body and extending from the neck to the hip portion thereof and thereby making it possible to selectively relatively engage said closely adjacent edges to provide said hollow torso-simulating body and also thereby making it possible to selectively relatively disengage said closely adjacent edges to make it possible to roll up said helical strip to provide easy storage and portability of the collapsed dress form; and fastener means carried by said edges of said body for selectively engaging and disengaging said edges along said junction line.

10. A collapsible portable torso-simulating dress form, comprising: a hollow torso-simulating body of molded elastomeric thin-sheet material provided with a neck H portion adjacent the upper end and a hip portion adjacent the lower end, said body being shaped to conform to a predetermined dress size, said body being provided with normally closely adjacent edges defining a selectively engageable and disengageable junction line extending helically around the body between the neck portion thereof and the hip portion thereof thereby defin ing a helical strip forming said body and extending from the neck to the hip portion thereof and thereby making it possible to selectively relatively engage said closely adjacent edges to provide said hollow torsosimulating body and also thereby making it possible to selectively relatively disengage said closely adjacent edges to make it possible to roll up said helical strip to provide easy storage and portability of the collapsed dress form; and fastener means carried by said edges of said body for selectively engaging and disengaging said edges along said junction line, said strip being sufficiently flexible to allow it to be rolled up when the closely adjacent edges are disengaged but effectively providing a relatively stiif torso-simulating body when said closely adjacent edges are engaged.

11. A collapsible portable torso-simulating dress form, comprising: a hollow torso-simulating body of molded elastorneric thin-sheet material provided with a neck portion adjacent the upper end and a hip portion adjacent the lower end, said body being shaped to conform to a predetermined dress size, said body being provided with normally closely adjacent edges defining a selectively engageable and disengageable junction line extending helically around the body between the neck portion thereof and the hip portion thereof thereby defining a helical strip forming said body and extending from the neck to the hip portion thereof and thereby making it possible to selectively relatively engage said closely adjacent edges to provide said hollow torsosimulating body and also thereby making it possible to selectively relatively disengage said closely adjacent edges to make it possible to roll up said helical strip to provide easy storage and portability of the collapsed dress form; and slide fastener means carried by said edges of said body for selectively engaging and disengaging said edges along said junction line.

12. A collapsible portable torso-simulating dress form, comprising: a hollow torso-simulating body of molded elastonieric thin-sheet material provided with a neck portion adjacent the upper end and a hip portion adjacent the lower end, said body being shaped to conform to a predetermined dress size, said body being provided with normally closely adjacent edges defining a selectively engageable and disengageable junction line extending helically around the body between the neck portion thereof and the hip portion thereof thereby defining a helical strip forming said body and extending from the neck to the hip portion thereof and thereby making it possible to selectively relatively engage said closely adjacent edges to provide said hollow torso-simulating body and also thereby making it possible to selectively relatively disengage said closely adjacent edges to make it possible to roll up said helical strip to provide easy storage and portability of the collapsed dress form; and slide fastener means carried by said edges of said body for selectively engaging and disengaging said edges along said junction line, said strip being sufficiently flexible to allow it to be rolled up when the closely adjacent edges are disengaged but effectively providing a relatively stiff torso-simulating body when said closely adjacent edges are engaged.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,329,207 Lovell Sept. 4, 1943 

